[BUG] Claude Desktop (macOS) 2.16120.0: chat input stops accepting letters; shortcuts and Tab still work; mic toggle also unavailable
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing issues and this hasn't been reported yet
- [x] This is a single bug report (please file separate reports for different bugs)
- [x] I am using the latest version of Claude Code
What's Wrong?
Since Claude Desktop auto-updated to 2.16120.0 on 29 September 2026, the chat input box in both Claude Code and Cowork intermittently stops accepting letters. Keyboard shortcuts and the Tab key keep working, but typed letters never appear in the input box. The box looks normal.
The only thing that recovers it is quitting and reopening the app. Then it happens again later in the session.
Workarounds already tried, none of them work:
- Pressing Escape (in case of a stuck dead-key composition; Spanish keyboard layout).
- Clicking inside the input box.
- Toggling voice input (the workaround from #82983): the microphone toggle itself no longer responds, neither by clicking nor by its keyboard shortcut, while the bug is active.
Other macOS apps are not affected. It started the same day as the update.
What Should Happen?
The input box should accept typed characters every time, and the microphone toggle should respond.
Error Messages/Logs
Steps to Reproduce
- Use Claude Desktop (Claude Code or Cowork) normally for a while.
- At some point, letters stop appearing in the input box; Tab and shortcuts still work.
- Escape, clicking the box and the mic toggle do not recover it.
- Quit and reopen the app: works again until the next occurrence.
Intermittent; cannot be triggered on demand.
Claude Model
None
Is this a regression?
Yes, this worked in a previous version
Last Working Version
Whichever Claude Desktop version was installed before 29 Sep 2026 (auto-updated; exact number unknown)
Claude Code Version
Claude Desktop 2.16120.0 (macOS, auto-updated 2026-09-29) — Claude Code and Cowork inside the desktop app
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Other
Additional Information
Environment: Claude Desktop app for macOS (the Claude Code tab and Cowork inside it), not a terminal. macOS 26.6.2 (build 25G83). Spanish keyboard layout.
Related open reports: #82983 (input box can't be focused; mic toggle was the only fix), #69629 (input field unresponsive in all conversations), #94031 (input breaks after switching apps and back). In my case the mic workaround no longer applies: the mic toggle itself does not respond while the bug is active.